Hidden Heroes
by wiggielf
Summary: It has been 600 years since the Events of Ocarina of Time Hyrule is no longer ruled by a Monarchy. It has been 3 years since Zelda and Ellie's mother was tragically killed in a car accident. After their mother visits Ellie in a dream, the sisters now must put their faith in the past to save the future. ZELINK
1. Message from the past

**New story set in modern day Hyrule. Hopefully this will be less depressing as Saviour. Please review :)**

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**Message from the Past**

_It has been nearly 600 years since the events of Ocarina of Time..._

600 years since the Hero of time saved to small Kingdom of Hyrule from the evil sorcerer Ganondorf...

600 years since he had saved a princess...

600 years since she had sent him back in time to regain his missed childhood...

And 600 years since they had last set their eyes on each other. 

For 600 years the story of the Legend of Zelda had been passed down from generation to generation until it had become a widely celebrated fairytale, not one person in the United Republic of Hyrule and its surrounding neighbours hadn't heard of the boy who travelled in time to vanquish the evil and rescue the fair maiden.

This hero had many names, many forms and many incarnations ironically nobody knew of the hero's true identity. His name and his appearance had been lost in the annals of time. The only true significant memory of the hero was that he was depicted to be clad in a green tunic with windsock-shaped hat wielding the remarkably recognisable Master Sword.

A sword which, like her master, had been lost within the vastness of time and the great expanse of the world. When each hero had liberated the kingdom the illusive Master sword switched its resting place.

Some say it lay in the prestigious Temple of Time, guarded by a huge stone door behind the alter, only to be opened when the hero had collected the three sacred stones and learned the song of Time on the Ocarina of Time.

The other rumour was that it had been hidden inside a great forest, protected by puzzles and mysterious guardians.

The secret to finding these places was with the Beautiful Princess Zelda. The One chosen by the Goddesses Din, Nayru and Farore to safeguard the Triforce of wisdom. She was also bestowed with unrivalled grace and was intelligent beyond her years.

_Then how the hell was she always being kidnapped._ Zelda thought to herself. She could never quite understand how the Princess was always kidnapped and how she always had to rely on a hero to save her. It was so cliché. Even though the princess had the so called 'wisdom' too have possibly thought of a way to prevent all these disasters in the first place.

Although Zelda, like her namesake, couldn't deny that she to wished for a handsome hero to save her from the darkest depths of life and, in her opinion, too much homework. Even she dreamed of a hero that would whisk up onto his stallion and they would ride away into the sunset. Zelda giggled to herself; she was such a little girl sometimes.

Unfortunately reality came crashing down upon her when she heard her younger sister's familiar distressed scream. Zelda immediately sat on the side of the young girl's bed holding her tightly in an effort to comfort the troubled girl.

'It was another one of those nightmares again. Wasn't it?" Zelda knew the answer before she even had to ask it. She knew her 12 year sister better than anyone. The two were so alike and so inseparable. The only thing that parted the sisters was their four year age gap. They were more like twins...no wait they were more like two parts of the same person. They had a firm, unbreakable and unfathomable bond.

'I saw mum again." Ellie said in a hushed whisper between her sobbing. Zelda froze it had been a while since Ellie had dreamt of their mother's death. Ever since their beloved mother was tragically killed in a car accident only three short years ago. With her passing their devoted father, who had just become the president of the United Republic of Hyrule (the monarchy had long been diminished some centuries ago due to an uprising of citizens demanding a democracy. The King at the time didn't protest saying that it was his duty to his people) had become distant and cold. He no longer held the sisters, they no longer laughed or played together. Instead he employed Impa, a sheikah woman from Kakariko and a close family friend, to be their nanny and to care for their every need.

The girls never saw their father, apart from the rare occasion when they were forced to attend an extremely uncomfortable formal dinner with him. Little speech would be passed between the family and the girls were always relieved when it was over. The girls no longer lived with their father as it was too much of a strain on his work. Ellie hated him for this. Zelda on the other hand just pitied the man she had to call her father. She had seen him many times on the television he looked so empty, drained and emotionless. She knew he wasn't living anymore; he was just existing. He had lost everything dear to him. Including the sisters.

Impa had once said it was because of the sister's uncanny resemblance to their late mother. It hurt their father seeing so much of their mother in them but not having her presence around them. Their appearance was a constant reminder that he could've saved her but instead chose his work over his family.

"Mum told me that a shadow was returning and we must rely on the past to help us in the future.' Zelda pulled Ellie away from the embrace looking deep into her violet eyes. The young girl showed only truth in her eyes. "She was right. I could feel the darkness all around me like it was trying to suffocate me. A black cloud covered Hyrule. There was nothing to stop it and...and..." Ellie trailed off as a fresh stream of tears fell from her youthful eyes. Ellie clutched onto her sister's pyjama top for dear life and sobbed. Zelda wrapped her arms around the girl once again and the two just sat, comforted by each other's embrace in the silence of the night.

After what seemed like an age, Ellie, removed herself from her older sister's arms. Zelda glanced down a her sister's now smiling face. Using the cuff of her pyjama's, Zelda wiped away the remaining tears that stained her face.

"Hey sis." Started Ellie nervously.

"Yes?" Replied Zelda having the slightest feeling that Ellie was going to ask something.

"Can you play that song." Ellie paused. "you know the one mum always sang for us."Zelda let out a small laugh.

"Of course." Both Zelda and Ellie smiled. Who needed a father when they had each other. Zelda kissed Ellie on the forehead before helping her get back into bed and settled. Gracefully she got up and took their mother's cherished harp off the shelf and began to sing:

_Oh youth,  
guided by the servant of the goddess,  
unite earth and sky, and bring light to the land._

Fly over us, down through the clouds,  
Though it's legend, it could still be true.

Follow your dreams, never fear, for  
I'll be with you, if only in your dreams.

The goddess watches over you,  
Her messenger.

My friend and hope, this was destined  
To all come down to you.

Fly over us, down through the clouds,  
Though it's legend, it could still be true.

Follow your dreams, never fear, for  
I'll be with you, if only in your dreams.

Ellie soon fell into a peaceful slumber. Zelda smiled at her harmonious sister. She cared for Ellie dearly and never whished it upon anyone to be cursed like they were. With once final glimpse at her slumbering sister before she too let the night claim her.

Little did she know...the fate of Hyrule was about to change.

_And a hero was about to awaken._


	2. Awaken the chosen

First chapter...please reviews :)

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******Awaken the chosen**

Thick Menacing clouds swirled and swayed in a threatening manner above the skies of the Kingdom of Hyrule. The lurid obscurity stretch far beyond the horizon, in all directions. Thunder rumbled deafeningly in the darkness while bolts of lightning forked down aimlessly. But no rain fell from the sky.

Zelda was stood high on a stone balcony, overlooking a small city, protected by a high fortress like wall. The only exit was a tiny drawbridge leading onto the great plains of Hyrule Field. To her left was the familiar, prestigiou0s, building known as the Temple of Time. Below her stood an abandoned square now occupied by Redeads.

She opened her mouth to scream in terror as one bolt struck frightfully close to her, but her efforts were fruitless. She tried to move; an attempt to shelter herself from the storm however, like her lack of a voice she couldn't move. Petrified Zelda was unable to take any action save herself.

"Watch child, watch the horizon," ordered a heavenly voice from the sky. Zelda immediately stopped struggling and turned her gaze outwards. Slowly but surely the immensity of the clouds lightened and started to part. Gently a golden ray of sunlight was exposed, centring itself on a small moving object, a small object coated in green. It was being followed by a minuscule ball of glowing blue.

Zelda squinted her eyes as the two bodies approached the gates of a smaller and less modern version of Castle Town. The larger green commodity merged into the figure of a boy, no older than twelve accompanied by the illusive and mythical fairies. No one had seen one of these legendary creatures for centuries. The rumours were that all the fairies had left Hyrule once development started. They now resided in the secretive world of Kokiri Forest. The topic of fairies and the mysterious race of the Kokiri greatly interested their mother, the curator of Hyrule's History Museum.

This interest had now passed down to Zelda, who now spent every waking moment (when she wasn't with Ellie or at school) studying Hyrule's magically fascinated past;especially the immortal story of The Hero of Time.

Zelda shook her head as she focused once again on the young boy. She obeyed the order from above observing the boy's every move. She giggled silently, knowing that the holy voice above was scowling at her, at the boy's antics. She watched as he stopped right in front of the drawbridge.

She caught sight of the boy's youthful face. He must've been no younger than twelve. His appearance showed both determination and apprehension. Hope and fear. He appeared to be a child yet with his expressions he looked like an adult; _like a hero._

The boy was clad in the traditional dress of the Kokiri ; green tunic, hat and boots nonetheless he carried a small wooden shield and sword strapped to his back. He had dirty blonde hair with bright azure eyes.

Then it dawned on her. The sound of steel being drawn from its sheath challenged the crash of the lightening in a frighteningly lonesome manner. It was the greatness of the darkness compared with the scale of the boy that alarmed Zelda. How was such small child going to take on the monstrous entity that had consumed Hyrule?

But it was him. He always vanquished evil. He always saved the princess.

_But how?_

Before Zelda could even contemplate the answer, her attention was drawn to the drawbridge. The sound of the old cogs and the metal rattled as the bridge was lowered. She watched as a gleaming white horse, ridden by two figures, one smaller than the other, draped in royal cloths and armour galloped out of the city. She only caught a glimpse of the riders for a moment;they looked terrifyingly familiar.

It appeared to be Ellie and their nanny Impa. What were they doing here? Zelda cried out their names dismembering that she couldn't be heard. She as the girl with the resemblance to her sister turned momentarily and tossed a small blue instrument at the boy.

_The ocarina of time._

Another set of hooves arose from the gates as another horse galloped out of the gates. This a great black stallion was ridden by a large ferocious looking man. Zelda recognised the man immediately. He too was known by many names.

This man was the king of the Black Dessert, _Gannondorf._

He'd been reincarnated many a times but was always defeated by the hero. Nevertheless his appearance petrified the girl and his actions shocked her. She was forced to witness Gannondorf pick up the small child and toss across the field as if it were a rag doll. Zelda winced as the boy landed in the grass with a crunch. He didn't even twitch as the Gerudo King rode off after the horse carrying Impa and Ellie.

Zelda called up to the mysterious voice beyond the clouds asking for some assistance for the poor boy. No reply came and the clouds remained uncommunicative. Zelda kept crying even she could feel her body starting to become lighter and her vision faded.  
She could hear her name being called from somewhere and someone but both these places where unrecognisable until...

"Oh for the love of Nayu, Zelda Harkinian wake up and get a hold of yourself" Zelda's eyes shot open. She was greeted with Impa's worried face. Zelda blinked a few times. It took a few moments for her mind to register that what she had just viewed was a dream;only a dream.

It wasn't real. She was back in her room. Everything was okay,_ wasn't it?_

It was Impa's expression that changed Zelda's mind. As far as she could remember she had never seen the woman with such fear anxiety and worry written across her face.

"What happened?" Zelda asked with nervous curiosity.

"You were screaming like...;" Impa trailed off, not knowing the correct term.

"Like a mad women." Another smaller voice came from the corner of the room. Zelda gently sat up, with the help of Impa, and locked eyes with her younger sibling.

Ellie was sat curled up in the old rocking chair with her thin arms curled around her torso. Her eyes were wide with distress while her whole body shook. Zelda clambered out of bed, approaching her agitated sister. Zelda carefully knelt in front of the chair, delicately lifting the younger girls chin. Ellie was trying to avoid her eye contact.

"You saw it too didn't you?" Ellie mumbled. "Death and destruction. You saw the cloud filled sky. Saw the storms and&...and..." Ellie's body heaved with a heart wrenching sob. Tears started spilling from her eyes. "You saw him. There was blood...lots of blood&... bodies everywhere... some of them not even whole. He killed them. He murdered them. He-he even murdered father."

Zelda forced Ellie to look at her. The girl had to watch all this going on. This wasn't something a twelve year old should've witnessed. Zelda pulled her sister into a tight hug once again. Rubbing her back slowly she tried to soothe the desolate girl; Ellie's sobs only grew more and more tormented. "He's coming back isn't he?"

"Who?"

"Ganondorf." Zelda jerked Ellie from her and looked at her straight the eyes.  
"No he isn't coming back. He's dead. Don't you ever say things like that?" This was more of a reassurance to Zelda rather than to Ellie. He couldn't come back&...right? He was dead. He, like the hero had disappeared from the world centuries ago. They hadn't returned since then, meaning they'd probably never will.

Never say never. Their mother's words rang loudly within Zelda's memory. Zelda thought about it for a moment. Weighing up all the possibilities.

_Why did this always happen to her?_

Impa watch the two sisters from the other side of the room. They were so close it was unbelievable however considering the past it would be surprising if they weren't. They leaned on each other, only relying on themselves to struggle through life. They were more like two halves of the same person than sisters.

Impa already knew of the girls' dreams...well to call them dreams was an understatement. They were prophecies. One girl saw the problem while the other saw the solution. They were re-living the events of the past, their past from 600 years ago.

They were the direct descendants of the old royal bloodline. Impa was herself ordered by the Goddesses to protect the sisters until their past selves awoke. Impa gazed at the girls lovingly. She adored the sisters and never whished it upon them to relive the events of 600 years ago. She prayed that this day would never come. She only wanted the best for the girls and now, soon they would face a fate worse than death...

Impa's thoughts were severely interrupted when she notice two bright glowing triangles fade onto the girls' hands. The triforce of wisdom had awoken within the girls.

_In time he will return._

***

"Well Rinku, this is it." Sighed Link as he stopped his beloved motorcycle, Epona, and took off his green helmet. He had stopped just outside the legendary gates of Castle city. Link glanced up at the entrance in awe. This was definitely a change to the small-town architecture he was used to back in Kakariko. Link waited for a reply from his younger brother but nothing came. Link turned around to find his twelve year old kid brother staring at his left hand. Rinku immediately grabbed Link's left hand and tore off the leather glove.

"You have it too."

"Have what?"

"The mark." Link shook his head in disbelief but peeked at his hand anyway. Three golden triangles glowed brightly, the bottom right the brightest of the three. Rinku looked at Link.

_"In time he will return."_


	3. A train of thought

****_Chapter 3 enjoy :)_

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**A train of Thought**

_Click_

Link turned the key to his and Rinku's new apartment and with an eerie creak; he pushed the door open with his shoulder. The brothers were greeted with a haunting darkness.

The place felt empty and unwelcome.

Link put the box he was carrying, on the floor and flicked the light switch. The single light bulb swinging dangerously from the ceiling, surrounded by an alarming number of cracks, flickered before giving the brothers some light. Not nearly as much as they would've liked but it was enough for them to make their way around the new flat with ease.

Rinku took his first glance around the small living room. It only contained the bare essentials; cheap looking sofa, plastic coffee table, minimalistic television set. The neglected white washed walls naked of any decoration or attention. It was if the flat had been made with little love or care. In this day and age, it probably was.

The floor boards creaked just as badly as the door when Rinku decided to explore their new living place. A small dirty white coloured Kitchenette hid around the corner void of any useful appliances such as a dishwasher. A small bar counter with two lonely chairs; their only dining area.

A small hallway led off from the living area revealing three doors. Two, he presumed led to the bedrooms and the other to the bathroom.

"I'm just going to get the rest of the things from the bike. You go ahead and decide which bedroom you want." And with that Link left shutting the door with a small bang.

A small but daunting bang.

Any sense of the existence of time seemed to have vanished with Link's unwanted departure.

He was trapped, trapped in unfamiliar surroundings, suffocated by the coldness. Suffocated by the loneliness.

This wasn't their home. This was just a place they had to stay. There real home was….

Their real home was...

They didn't really have a home. Not one Rinku remembered anyway.

Their parents died nearly eleven years ago in a house fire when he was only a baby. The brothers had been staying with their Grandmother on the eastern island of Outset. (Far away beyond Termina was a great sea dotted with hundreds of tiny islands. Outset was only one of them).

According to the investigators, the hay barn caught alight, this then spread across the parched fields. They had been in the middle of a deadly heat wave. The house was engulfed in flames in a matter of minutes. Due to their vast distance from any local town or village, by the time any help arrived it was far too late. There was nothing anyone could do.

Rinku hadn't any memory of his parents down to his age, he knew what they looked like with the aid of the only photograph left after the fire. One Link treasured dearly. It was one of the few family photos ever taken. They were all laughing (apart from Rinku who was only a baby) They were a happy family; a loving family.

As far as they were aware they had done no wrong. Yes, according to their grandmother the boys were cheeky but they weren't evil.

Why did the goddess tear apart this family?

Why were the brothers denied this basic necessity?

Was this too much to ask?

The harshness of reality always hit Rinku like a jug of icy water being thrown over him.

Life wasn't fair.

However even though they had no parents, hardly any money to put food on the table and relatives who tossed the boys from each other like old unwanted toys, Rinku was grateful. Grateful for the food he did received, grateful for always having a roof and grateful for his brother. Link had been Rinku's mother, father and brother wrapped into one, as well as his best friend. Compared to some people Rinku was living a life of luxury.

Still holding his train of thought Rinku ambled up to the balcony window, pushing down on handle he mindlessly he gazed out dreamily at the never-sleeping city below him. He was in awe at its greatness. It gave him a strange sense hope. Maybe the move from the emptiness of the country to the hustle and bustle of Castle city wasn't such a bad thing after all.

The noise of traffic below him filled his ears whereas in the country- a place he refused to call home , only the sound of crickets –even if that, could only be heard. Motor vehicles were unheard of and very rare in the country. Rinku giggled when he remembered the memory of when their grandmother gave Link his own motorcycle for his sixteenth. Link was ecstatic for days and could not stop admiring or tending to the bike for days. He had even given the bike the name of his favourite character from their favourite fairy-tale, The Legend of Zelda. He had named the bike after the hero's noble steed, Epona.

It was soon after Link's sixteenth that he'd been awarded a Scholarship in music for Hylia High. Hyrule's most prestigious school. It was a playground for the children of the rich and famous.

Rinku was at first opposed to the idea, he knew that Link of course would pass the exam, Link had an inhuman power for playing any instrument with extreme skill, particularly the guitar however Rinku didn't like the idea of his cherished older brother being looked down by people who thought they were better than him. Rinku had watched all the movies and was immensely concerned for his brother's wellbeing. Link was the only close family Rinku had left. He didn't want to be visiting his brother in hospital or worse after the school bully had beaten him black and blue.

Rinku shook his head, trying to erase the vision of his brother from his mind. As his eyes came back into focus he noticed something blue and white with a hint of red darting from rooftop to roof top in the distance. Being on the 30th floor really had a great view of the whole city. Rinku tried to focus on the figure it would disappear in to thin air. He was sure the figure was Hylian but it was indistinguishable to whether it was male or female. Could it be one of the illusive Sheikah, known for their expertise in stealth?

He continued to follow the creature with his eyes until Rinku froze.

His eyes had set upon the iconic Hyrule castle. He'd seen the building an extensive amount of times both on TV and in the papers but never in person. It was enormous, even from the distance he was at, with rich brickwork. Luxurious towers stood proud and tall. Exotic cloths were draped from some of the balconies. The parapets between these towers stood strong.

The castle was a beacon of hope and a symbol protection. Seeing the thousand year old structure calmed any restlessness inside of Rinku, making him feel safe. On the other hand a peculiar thought arose within his mind.

Rinku's attention was suddenly drawn to the battered leather pouch suspended from his tattered belt. He'd never opened the pouch before. Inside was something precious, a special family heirloom in which his parents left him. It was something, he was told, to guard it with his life and never tell a soul about. Rinku carefully opened the case, not wanting to disturb anything. He gently withdrew a heavy object no bigger than the palm of his hand, protected by a velvet cloth. Rinku whipped away the cloth with excitement and anxiousness.

His young eyes cast themselves upon the object. A large circular emerald was encompassed in swirl of gold.

Rinku couldn't believe his eyes it was the legendary stone. One of the three spiritual pieces, told in the Legend of Zelda, that were the key to opening the door behind the alter in the Temple of Time here in Castle City.

What Rinku held in his hands was the Kokiri Emerald but why did his parents have it?

Why did he now possess this priceless object?

He then had a flash of an image of Link's inheritance; a small oval instrument, known as an ocarina. On the neck of the instrument was a band of silver with three triangles engraved into it….the Triforce

It then hit him, if he had the Kokiri Emerald, then would it be possible for Link to have inherited the Ocarina of time.

But why…?

The Triforce of courage, the very mark had appeared on the brothers' hands as soon as they reached the gates of Castle City resonating widly.

Was there something waiting for them here?

Was it more than a scholarship that brought them here?

Rinku stepped in from the balcony still trying to unscramble the mess with in his head. With little thought of his surroundings, and the notion to wait for Link, Rinku grabbed his small suitcase from front door, subconsciously making his way to the smaller bedroom. He abruptly stopped in front of the door after having pondered the idea for a while. It made sense and he wanted to tell Link.

However Link wasn't a strong believer in the supernatural and Rinku's hypothesis needed proof before he could approach his brother.

Rinku left the idea for now. In the morning, while his brother was out working at a local music store, he would try and find the proof he needed. Maybe the local market might have some answers.

He was still stunned at his revelation though. Why now? Why them?

_If heroes weren't needed in times of peace what was about to befall Hyrule._

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_The plot is finally starting to reveal itself. I however am keeping my lips sealed. You'll have to learn how everything came to be along with Rinku, Link, Ellie and Zelda._

_Sorry for the lack of the sisters in this chapter but our leading lads needed something for themselves...wait...RINKU GOT A WHOLE DAMN CHAPTER TO HIMSELF. Lucky thing. Link or one of the girls needs a solo chapter_

Thoughts and reviews of the chapter are much appreciated.


	4. Worlds Collide

****This chapter is a little rushed and as I still haven't got a beta I've looked through it myself. The events in this chapter are based off the OoT manga.

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**Chapter 3  
Worlds collide**

Gentle rays of the morning sunlight crept between the gaps in curtains, covering Rinku in an unwanted glow. Rinku grumbled, pulling the covers over his head in an attempt to block out the sun.

"Rinku, I'm off to work now please don't be up too late okay." Link voice called down the hall.

"Fine." Rinku replied still groggy and annoyed from being rudely awoken. And with that the front door slammed shut. Rinku was once again left on his own. For a twelve year old he had a lot of independence and was often left to fend for himself while Link was out 'bringing home the bacon.'

One of them had to do it if they were to survive. Their parents had little money for them to inherit and what was left had been taken by their relatives as 'payment' for looking after the brothers.

After a few more minutes of trying to fall back into dream land, Rinku gave up and dragged himself out of bed. Not bothering to hunt out some fresh clothes, he pulled on the ones he had worn the day before. A quick ruffle and curse of his hair then he was ready.

Ready for what?

He was stuck slap bang in unfamiliar surroundings. He knew where nothing was.  
But this was the great Castle City surely there was something to do.

Rinku pondered on what to do while trying to find something to eat. He opened every cupboard but all that greeted was dust and crumbs. Even the fridge was empty…all it contained was a carton of Milk. Their favourite.

It was better than nothing. The boys really needed to get their priorities right.  
After pouring himself a tall glass of the tasty white stuff, he noticed a small folded piece of lined paper with his name written on it laying on the table.

_Link, why did he have to act like this?_He wasn't a baby anymore. He'd seen more than any other twelve year old. Link should just trust him but that wasn't Link's nature. Link now found it hard to trust and open up to anyone.

_Geez He needed a girlfriend_

Anyway Rinku unfolded the note

_Dear Rinku_

I'm so sorry I will be out until late today working at the music store so you'll have to fend for yourself today. I'm sorry about this but someone's got to earn the money for food. You might've noticed we haven't got any…  
Anyway I heard that there is a pretty cheap market nearby so you can buy yourself some food there. I'm so sorry we don't have any; I spent the last of our money on the flat….  
See you later and I hope you manage to get something to eat  
Love

Link

The definitely needed to get their priorities right. The pair were so full of getting better lives for themselves that they often forgot about the basic necessities of life.  
Somehow they were going to have to work it all out.

It was at these times he wished their mother was still alive. Even though Rinku couldn't remember her, Link could, very vividly in fact, on the rare occasion he talked about her, Rinku could see images of a loving and caring mother who would do anything for her children.

Rinku shook his head. He had to stop dwelling on the past. They had come to Castle City with a reason; a way to move forward. He wasn't going to let his past hinder his future any more.

And on that note Rinku grabbed a few green rupees from his old jeans, the spare house key and dashed out the door.

Rinku kept his head down and his hands in his pockets as he weaved in and out of the large crowds of people. He was already overwhelmed at the greatness of the city. Tall skyscrapers loomed high above on every street. People pushed and shoved each other as if their life depended on it.

Everything was on high alert. All around him were all manner of race dress in business clothes, talking loudly down their phones…it was too busy, noisy and lively. Car horns were beeping and the smell of petrol stung his nostrols. People were screaming while hanging out their car windows. What a strange place this was.

He just wanted to go home. His stomach told him otherwise. Following the instruction on the note, Rinku dragged himself to the market in search of something to eat….

According to Link, the market , was in the centre of town with a large fountain at its centre, not too far from their flat. Link must've made a mistake, or been too tired, when he wrote this because there were no open spaces within the city walls. Each street was compact, fitting as many buildings as it could.

That was what he thought until he reached the end of the road. Rinku was greeted with a jaw dropping sight.

_open space….a large fountain….market stalls….sellers calling out their specials for the day_

It felt like home again.

"cheap food only 6 rupees a piece."

"Food to takeaway only 7 rupees for three combinations"

Rinku's briefly overjoyed heart sunk at the prices. He reached into his pocket and pulled out all his savings. Three green rupees lay disappointingly in his hand.

It looked like he was just going to have starve until Link came home. It wasn't like he could trick the seller…

Or could he?

He and Link had become quite the experts when it came to stealing food.

It worked back in Kakariko so why wouldn't it work here. All he had to do was…  
"Oi where do you think you're going with that?" called the fruit seller. Rinku thought he wasn't looking when he leant in and grabbed an apple. He was very wrong.

His heart thumped at a thousand beats a minute as he scarpered through the market, not wanting to look back.

"Come back here you brat. I hope you have the money to pay for that." Footsteps of heavy boots echoed closer and closer as Rinku was being chased.

Rinku glanced behind him and saw a furious, scary large Hylian with an axe raised high in the air in rage charging straight at him.

_just got to keep run-_

"aaaahhh" the next thing Rinku knew, he was lying face down on the pavement. Onlookers looked on laughing and jeering.

"This pretty stone looks like it'll just about cover the cost." The shop keeper tossed the precious Kokiri Emerald in his hand as if it were a cheap replica

"Hey give that back" Rinku lunged at the shopkeeper in an attempt to regain the emerald.

"STOP." Cried a small female figure behind them. Both males froze and turned. A girl, no more than twelve, wearing a blue summer dress, cardigan and sandals, stood staring menacingly at the two brawlers. "I'll pay for the meal just let him have the stone" She tossed a gold rupee at the man. He dropped Rinku and the Emerald so he could catch.

"300 rupees" He gasped and looked down to thank the girl but she had disappeared with the boy.

"Come on." Said the girl grabbing Rinku's hand and dragging him away.

The pair ran and ran until the market was far from reach. They had ended up at the entrance of the Temple of Time, panting and gasping for breath.

"Hey…t-thanks back there." Gasped Rinku struggling to express his gratitude and gain his breath.

"No problem those market sellers are real brutes sometimes. You looked famished." She noticed, despite all the trouble, his efforts to get food were fruitless. " here you can share my lunch my sister made for me." The girl reached into her satchel and brought out a neatly packed homemade lunch of cute sandwiches, cake and fruit.

The two sat on the steps of the temple silently eating their meal. Rinku found himself sneaking glances at the girl. She was adorable with large blue eyes, hair almost like spun gold, childish dimples and in the light of the temple she glowed like a celestial being.

The beautiful girl giggled sweetly when she noticed the boy admiring her. Rinku immediately blushed and looked down at his food.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Rinku."

"that's a cool name. Mine's Ellie. You must be new around town. Let's be friends."

A small bell rang as the door to Saria's songs music shop opened. Link looked up from the guitar he was restringing. A golden haired woman stood at the doorframe dressed in a tight business like blue dress and designer jacket.

The sunlight shone behind her as she lit up the dark shop. She looked like a goddess recently descended from the heavens…she stumbled forward, the door slammed and the woman collapsed on the floor.


End file.
